SERMON XII.

GOD REGARDS THE POOR.

JOB XXIV, 19.

NOR REGARDETH THE RICH MORE THAN THE POOR; FOR THEY ALL ARE THE WORK OF HIS HANDS.

THE words now read are part of the speech of the wise young man, Elihu, to Job. They are in the form of a question; but when they are changed into an affirmation, they express this truth, that God regardeth not the rich more than the poor; for they all are the work of his hands. This sentiment is the subject of the present discourse.

It is not my intention to utter a declamation against wealth; nor shall I attempt to prove, that the poor are happier than the rich. Such an opinion probably would not be admitted by my auditors; and it is not maintained in the text. All which it asserts is, that God does not regard the rich more than the poor; which assertion implies only, that the one is regarded as much as the other. That wealth may be productive of happiness, that it is a blessing which descends from heaven is evident. God bestows it on man as the instrument of good; and the evil of it consists in its abuse. To say nothing

of the physical enjoyments, which riches enable a man to purchase; of the respect which they obtain; of the rank, which they give him in society; of the power, which they confer on him of indulging his taste for the fine arts and elegant literature; all which are innocent pleasures, when the love of them is confined within the bounds of moderation; to say nothing of these things, must not that condition be desirable, which affords to the patriot the means of increasing the strength and welfare of his country; to the encourager of learning, of endowing schools and colleges; to the philanthropist, of adding to the comforts and alleviating the miseries of the indigent; and to the Christian, of advancing the interests of religion, and erecting a temple to the Most High?

Nor do I mean to assert, that there is no evil in poverty; for poverty in the extreme must be allowed to be a serious calamity, which calls for the sympathy and benevolent aid of all, who are able to afford it relief. Hunger, and thirst, and cold, and nakedness, cannot by any charm of eloquence or poetry be converted into blessings. Like sickness, and the death of friends, they are afflictions, to which it is the duty of a Christian to submit with patience and pious resignation; but it is not required of any one, that he should view them as pleasures. That God regards even this lowest class of the poor, that he has wise and gracious designs in the sufferings, which he inflicts on them, must be admitted, if we take into consideration, that there is a future, as well as a present, world; and that the Author of both worlds is a benevolent Being, who hates nothing, which he has made, who delights not in the misery of his creatures, but like a tender Father pities the wretched. I speak

not of the needy, who are destitute of every comfort: they are not numerous in any country, particularly not here I confine myself to the poor, who are deprived of the luxuries, and not a few of the conveniences, but still possess the necessaries, of life. This class of persons, who constitute the majority in every nation, if they are too much disposed to compare their situation with the condition of the wealthy, may fall into discontent; and may be ready to imagine, that they are not the objects of the care and kindness of Heaven: but I will endeavor to show, that God does not regard the rich, more than he regards them.

1. I, in the first place, observe, that poverty, in the view which we take of it at present, is the unavoidable result of institutions, which are beneficial to society. If the property, which is in any quarter of the globe, was to be equally divided among its inhabitants, the poor, though they might not be as poor as they are now, would not be made rich. Each man might possess a single acre of land; which he might cultivate, as well as it could be done in a country, where there was no commerce, no established manufactures, and no large funds. It would be difficult, if not impossible, for him to procure even the necessary implements of husbandry. He would be destitute of many comforts and enjoyments, which the poor now possess. In a word, he would become a savage; and he would suffer the frequent hunger and other hardships, to which the savage life is exposed. The unequal distribution of property is the principal cause, wchhi renders men industrious; and it is this inequality, which has given rise to most of the inventions and improvements, that have been made in the arts. It always accompanies a high

degree of civilization, a state, which in spite of everything, that poets may urge in favor of the Indian wigwam, is much to be preferred, even for them who obtain the smallest share of its advantages, to a rude state of nature where riches are unknown. This argument, if there was time for it, might be pursued to a great length; but I must leave it to your reflections, and satisfy myself with remarking, that the poor cannot doubt that they are regarded by God, when they perceive that their poverty is the effect of a constitution of society, which contributes very much to their benefit.

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2. God formed the poor as well as the rich he has bestowed on them the same nature, the same senses, the same powers of understanding. The differences, which exist between them, are accidental only; they are not an inferior class of beings; and if it should be the will of heaven, there is nothing in the constitution, either of their bodies or minds, to prevent them from changing places with each other, an event which indeed is frequently ordered by Providence. The inlets of pleasure are the same with them as with other men; and their gratifications probably are not fewer in number. They are not more exposed to disease and death: their lives are as long, and as cheerful. From the want of education, their taste may not be as refined as the taste of the rich; but perhaps they lose nothing by this circumstance for a refined taste, which is confessedly sometimes productive of a high degree of enjoyment, renders the person, who has acquired it, more difficult to be pleased; so that he is often disgusted with what delights the uninstructed eye or ear of the poor. If the poor are delighted, they ought not to charge Heaven with unkindness, because wealth has not cut them off from many sources of simple and harmless pleasure,

3. The poor man, it is true, is subjected to perpetual toil; which he may fear is a sign, that God does not regard him but toil is the lot of man, and not of the poor man exclusively. We shall find on examination, that the labors of the rich are as irksome, as the labors of the indigent. The wealthy merchant, who plans a voyage, and who is perplexed with the intricacy of accounts, and vexed with the blunders, idleness, or unfaithfulness, of more than one person employed by him, toils at least as hard as the seaman and porter, who receive his wages. There is a pride, perhaps a pleasure, in commanding the services of others; but there is much more trouble in keeping them at work, than in working ourselves. The task of laborers, who have no other part to perform than to obey the orders given to them, is more simple, less responsible, and less embarrassing; and if there was not a charm in freedom, which fascinates the human heart, most men would find more enjoyment, as they certainly find more ease, in being guided by others in their pursuit of the necessary provisions of life, than in undertaking to guide themselves. The cares of the poor are not to be named with the anxiety of the rich. The objects, which they have to attend to, being few in number, their minds are not so much agitated with fearful thoughts. After the fatigues of the day, they can lie down on their beds, and enjoy there quietness and repose, without any apprehension of shipwrecks, of insolvent debtors, of robbers, or of ware-houses on fire.

4. Some of the most valuable blessings, which God has bestowed on the human race, are love and friendship; but these blessings are imparted with liberality to the poor. Among such of them as are virtuous, the mu